Sri Lankan smuggles gold worth Rs 15 lakh

A Sri Lankan national was arrested at Mumbai international airport for allegedly trying to smuggle gold in his rectum while coming from Dubai, a customs official said on Tuesday.

The passenger, identified as Abdul Rehman (35), had stuffed five gold biscuits, weighing 500 grams and valued at Rs 15 lakh, in his rectum to hoodwink the customs officials at the airport.

Rehman landed here from Dubai on an Emirates flight on Monday morning. He was among the first three passengers to walk towards the Customs green channel with only a hand luggage, the official said. However, the foreign national’s nervous behaviour led the officials to suspect something amiss but checking of his luggage revealed nothing.

While his body was being frisked with a metal detector, it started beeping around his waist following which he was grilled. “Thorough questioning led Rehman to confess that he was carrying five gold biscuits in his rectum. He then squatted to get the gold biscuits out,” the official said.

The accused had wrapped the biscuits in carbon paper, put a tape on them and lathered them with cream before hiding them in his rectum, he said.

The accused was planning to sell the yellow metal in Mumbai, the official said.
He had made 25 trips between Mumbai and Dubai, and this year it was his 13th visit.

Officials suspect he might have been involved in smuggling during earlier visits also.